BY THE NUMBERS
U.S. stock futures were higher ahead of what's expected to be a strong July employment report from the government at 8:30 a.m. ET. Ahead of the Wall Street open, for the week, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq were higher, but the Dow was lower. (CNBC)
* China reportedly says it will retaliate with tariffs on $60 billion in US goods
Investors are looking at whether Apple (AAPL) can hold on to its $1 trillion stock market value, after being the first publicly traded U.S. company to eclipse that milestone. Since reporting strong earnings late Tuesday, Apple shares gained nearly 9 percent. (CNBC)
* After $1 trillion, here's where Apple goes next (CNBC)
* How Apple's value stacks up against rest of S&P 500 (CNBC)
* $1,000 investment in Apple 10 years ago is worth this (CNBC)
The next three companies close to Apple's valuations are Amazon (AMZN) at about $895 billion, Google-parent Alphabet (GOOGL) at $862 billion, and Microsoft (MSFT) at about $826 billion. (CNBC)
A massive wrong-way bet on bitcoin left an unidentified futures trader unable to cover losses, burning counterparties and threatening to dent confidence in one of the world's largest cryptocurrency venues. (Bloomberg)
IN THE NEWS TODAY
CBS (CBS) started its post-earnings call saying there would be no questions about sexual misconduct allegations against Les Moonves. The CEO and analysts complied. Meanwhile, second-quarter profit and revenue were better than expectations. (Reuters)
Just days before federal agents raided Michael Cohen's home and office, Donald Trump's then-personal lawyer secured a $10 million agreement with a top donor, according to The Wall Street Journal.
A federal judge is scheduled to hold a hearing today to decide who should bear the responsibility to find parents who were deported after they were separated from their children. (USA Today)
An engineer at General Electric with ties to Chinese companies was arrested and accused of stealing files related to proprietary power-turbine technology, which the FBI says he elaborately concealed to avoid detection. (WSJ)
General Motors (GM) is seeking an exemption to a 25 percent U.S. tariff for its Buick Envision sport utility vehicle. The Envision is made in China and accounts for about 19 percent of Buick brand sales in America.
Once its settlement with the Justice Department over toxic mortgages is finalized, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) said it'll pay its first dividend since the U.K. lender nearly collapsed during the 2008 financial crisis. (CNBC)
Shake Shack (SHAK) topped expectations on earnings and revenue. But investors were disappointed that Shake Shack merely reaffirmed its full-year forecast and shares sank in extended hours trading Thursday. (CNBC)
Heineken struck a $3.1 billion partnership with China Resources Beer, as the two firms seek to tap a growing thirst for premium brands in the world's biggest beer market. (Reuters)
Peloton is raising a $550 million round of financing as the maker of video-streaming stationary bikes contemplates an initial public offering as soon as next year. (WSJ)
STOCKS TO WATCH
Take-Two Interactive (TTWO) reported earnings that were short of estimates but revenue that beat on strong sales of its NBA and Grand Theft Auto video game franchises. Shares were soaring about 12 percent in the premarket.
Activision Blizzard (ATVI) beat estimates on earnings and revenue. Results were driven by strong sales of its popular Call of Duty video game, but the company warned on forward guidance.
GoPro (GPRO) shares were up strong in after-hours trading, turned negative, and then went up again, after the action camera-maker reported a narrower than expected loss. The CEO projected profitability in the second half.
Toyota Motor (TM) reported a 19 percent jump in profit for its first quarter, to the best level in 2.5 years. Japan's largest automaker earned $6 billion for the April through June quarter.
Campbell Soup (CPB) and Kraft Heinz (KHC) have opened exploratory merger talks, according to the New York Post. Kraft Heinz has not made an offer for Campbell, according to the report.
Boyd Gaming (BYD) struck a joint venture deal with FanDuel to run an online and mobile sports betting operation in the U.S. The casino operator had struck a separate sports betting-related deal earlier this week.
Sonos (SONO) is higher in pre-market trading, after the wireless speaker maker made its Wall Street debut Thursday with a 33 percent jump over its IPO price.
WATERCOOLER
The 2018 World Cup in Russia is over on the pitch. But now, the FIFA eWorld Cup video game tournament is underway in London. Thirty-two of the best "FIFA 18" players are vying for a trophy and $250,000 for the winner. (Reuters)